The Malaysian government enacted Thursday an anti-fake-news law that aims to counter Covid-19 misinformation. The Malaysian King (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) has declared a state of emergency for the country, lasting until August. The law was enacted through an executive authority by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, which does not require any Parliamentary procedures. The law is [...]

Texas attorney general Ken Paxton suffered a defeat yesterday in his lawsuit against the City of Austin’s mask mandate after a Travis County judge ordered the mandate to stay in effect. Texas governor Greg Abbott issued executive order GA-34 on March 2, which lifted all mandatory COVID restrictions, including mandates to wear masks and impose [...]

The Civil Liberties Union for Europe published a report on Tuesday detailing the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on democracy and the rule of law in 14 countries in Europe and providing recommendations for the EU. The report detailed major infringements such as: Restrictions on media freedom and political pressure on the [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Allegheny County Judge Anthony Mariani, alleging that Mariani violated the public’s First Amendment rights by blocking virtual access to courtroom proceedings. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on behalf of the Abolitionist Law Center (ALC). [...]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday lifting all COVID-19 restrictions in the state, including mask mandates and occupancy limits. The order rescinds previous executive orders and supersedes any inconsistent local orders. Businesses may still require face coverings and additional hygiene measures for employees and customers. The announcement comes as new variants of [...]